Today in History: December 4, journalist freed after years as Hezbollah hostage

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 4, the 339th time of 2024. There are 27 days near successful the year.

Today successful history:

On Dec. 4, 1991, aft being abducted and held for astir 7 years arsenic a hostage by Hezbollah militants successful Lebanon, Associated Press analogous Terry Anderson was released from captivity.

Also connected this date:

In 1783, Gen. George Washington bade farewell to his Continental Army officers astatine Fraunces Tavern successful New York.

In 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, dubbed the “Million Dollar Quartet,” gathered for the archetypal and lone clip for a jam league astatine Sun Records successful Memphis.

In 1964, constabulary arrested immoderate 800 students astatine the University of California, Berkeley, 1 time aft the students stormed the medication gathering and staged a monolithic sit-in.

In 1965, the United States launched Gemini 7 with Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Borman and Navy Cmdr. James A. Lovell aboard connected a two-week mission. (While Gemini 7 was successful orbit, its sister ship, Gemini 6A, was launched connected Dec. 15 connected a one-day mission; the 2 spacecraft were capable to rendezvous wrong a ft of each other.)

In 1969, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark of the Black Panther Party were changeable and killed during a raid by Chicago police.

In 1997, the NBA suspended Golden State Warriors defender Latrell Sprewell for 1 twelvemonth aft Sprewell attacked Warriors manager P.J. Carlesimo 3 days earlier.

In 2016, a North Carolina antheral equipped with an battle firearm fired respective shots wrong Comet Ping Pong, a Washington, D.C., pizzeria, arsenic helium attempted to analyse an online conspiracy mentation that salient Democrats were harboring kid enactment slaves astatine the restaurant; nary 1 was hurt, and the antheral surrendered to police. (He was aboriginal sentenced to 4 years successful prison.)

In 2018, agelong lines of radical coiled done the Capitol Rotunda to presumption the casket of erstwhile President George H.W. Bush.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Game amusement big Wink Martindale is 91.
• Actor-producer Max Baer Jr. is 87.
• Actor Gemma Jones is 82.
• Actor Jeff Bridges is 75.
• Actor Patricia Wettig is 73.
• Jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson is 69.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Bernard King is 68.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Lee Smith is 67.
• Olympic rod vault golden medalist Sergey Bubka is 61.
• Actor Marisa Tomei is 60.
• Actor-comedian Fred Armisen is 58.
• Rapper Jay-Z is 55.
• Actor-model Tyra Banks is 51.
• Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas is 40.
• Musician Jelly Roll is 40.